DANIEL
and GWYN LLOYD ROBERTS
By
Robert D. Roberts
Daniel Roberts and his family
consisting of his wife, Gwyn; and daughters Catherine and Eliza and sons
William and John, left Bendu Isaf
Cwm, Crousor, Llanfrothan,
North Wales, on October 9, 1850, for Liverpool, England, amidst the tears of
family and friends with Salt Lake City, United States of America as their final
goal. They landed in Liverpool in due time and on the 17th set sail
from Liverpool in one of the old sailing vessels of the time, to cross the
Atlantic Ocean. After an uneventful journey they landed in New Orleans, La., on
November 23, 1850. After remaining there but a short time they embarked on a
Mississippi River Boat for passage up the River, with St. Louis, Missouri as
their destination. During this time there was an epidemic of Asiatic Cholera
raging along the river and during the course of their journey the little son,
William, then about three years old, took sick with this dreaded disease and died, and
Uncle Daniel contracted the same disease, dying within a few hours thereafter.
They were buried side by side in Noverber [sic] 28,
1859, on the banks of the Mississippi River at a place called Worthing’s Landing, in the state of Kentucky.
This was a sad, sorrowful, and
trying time for Aunt Gwyn. She was now left in a strange land, among strangers,
with two little girls, Catherine and Eliza, and one little boy, John, who was
then only eleven months old. She could speak hardly a
word of English, nor could she understand, which made her position very trying
and difficult. But she was brave and strong, and would not turn back, she
continued struggling onward, reaching St. Louis, Missouri, with her little
family about the 1st of May, 1851, remaining there for about a
month. Then she started for Council Bluffs, Iowa, (then known as Winter
Quarters) arriving there about the 10th of June, 1851. She remained
at Winter Quarters, battling for an existence for herself and family, for about
thirteen months, or until July 1852, at which time she left for Salt Lake City,
by the dreary march across the plains with a caravan of teams. She had a long,
tired me journey of about three months, arriving in Salt Lake with her family,
on July 8, 1853, on which date she was married to a man by the name of David
Reese Evans, who then lived at Brigham City, Box Elder County, which was north
of Salt Lake City, about sixty miles, to which place she moved with her husband
and family. They lived happily together and were prospered at Brigham City.
During the eventful night of January 3, 1861, David R. Evans suddenly passed
from mortality to his last long rest and sleep without warning.
Aunt Gwyn was again left without a
companion and so continued to live a widow during the remainder of her days.
She was now left the three children by her first marriage and five more
children, one posthumous, to carry on the struggle of life. Fortunately she was
left with a nice little home and a good farm, well stocked, at Brigham City,
and she struggled along successfully there, mindful of her duties and emplanting, or seeking to emplant,
in the hearts of her children the principles of everlasting truth which she had
espoused and for which she had sacrificed so much. She continued living on the
little farm at Brigham City until the month of April, 1871, at which time she
sold the property and went to Malad Valley, then in
the State of Idaho. She gave her children the best education the country
afforded at the time and in every way gave them a good start in life. She was
permitted to see six of them attain their mafority
[sic] and each married their choice and started out in life for themselves. She lived faithfully to the testimony she had
been given as to the truths of Mormonism and continued to a ripe old age. The
summons of death came with a welcome and the feeling of satisfaction that she
had lived her life honorably, well and faithfully. She was buried at the side
of her second husband, David R. Evans, in the Brigham City Cemetery, Box Elder
County, Utah.
Aunt Gwyn had closed her days in
peace, surrounded by those she loved and by all who knew her. She left a
numerous and honored posterity and her sons and daughters; there are still
living (at the time this was written, that is) , Catherine, Eliza, and John L.
Roberts by her first marriage; and David L Charles, and Lorenzo L. Evans by her
second marriage, all of whom reside in various parts of the state of Idaho.
Catherine Roberts married Amos
Wright who became the Bishop of Bennington, Idaho, and they reared a large
family. Eliza Roberts married Caleb Jones and remained in Malad,
Idaho. John Lloyd Roberts settled in Sugar City, Idaho. He had a numerous posterity.
